


To Sir, With Love

by tictactoews



Category: Social Network (2010) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-02
Updated: 2012-02-02
Packaged: 2017-10-30 12:44:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/331867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tictactoews/pseuds/tictactoews
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Andrew is a single dad. When his daughter starts having trouble in one of her elementary school classes, Andrew goes to have a talk with her teacher. Turns out that Mr Eisenberg is not quite what he expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Sir, With Love

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt at the kinkmeme and initially posted there. This is the cleaned-up version, and I included the ending that wasn't previously posted. 
> 
> Many thanks to emerald_skies for beta and to all the lovely people who have been patiently reading the fic all along. You are all wonderful <3
> 
> Disclaimer: This is entirely a work of fiction, based on fictionalized personas and not the real people. No profit is being made, I don't own anything or anybody.

Most of the time Andrew thinks he’s done well in life. For someone who became a dad at nineteen, and a single dad at twenty, he’s always had everything under control. With a little help from his friends he took good care of a toddler, all while working in a coffee shop, going to acting school, and eventually ditching the Starbucks job to commit fully to the theatre. 

Now that Lucy’s in elementary school, things are even easier - he’s able to drive Lucy to school and back home himself, before and after rehearsals. His friend and neighbor, Emma, only has to watch Lucy three nights a week, when Andrew does shows. Yes, right now Andrew can pride himself on handling their lives really well.

That is, until Lucy starts having trouble in one of her fourth-grade classes.

“Dad, this grade is so unfair!” Lucy exclaims, trying to wrench her report card out of Andrew’s hand, but not quite reaching it. “I swear, Mr. Eisenberg doesn’t like me, that’s why he gave me a D.”

Andrew knows his daughter a bit too well, although it’s probably a good thing she doesn’t realize it yet. He knows the teachers usually adore her . Besides, he can’t imagine how anyone could give a nine-years-old girl a bad mark out of spite. Something’s not right here.

“Unfair, you say?” Andrew inquires, looking at the card thoughtfully. Straight A’s, and a single, lonely D in U.S. history. “So when did you say this test was?”

“Two weeks ago? I don’t know. But dad, the grade is…”

“Lucy,” Andrew interrupts her. “If this test went so well, why didn’t I see it? You always show your tests to me.”

“Sure, the ones I got A’s on!” Lucy explains like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Not the ones I… the ones that got very, very unfair marks!” Lucy corrects herself, and Andrew sighs.

“I think I need to have a talk with Mr. Eisenberg. This can’t be right, you’ve never gotten a D in your life.”

“Exactly!” Lucy exclaims happily and looks up at Andrew with big, hopeful eyes, so similar to his own. “You will get my grade changed, right? You’ll tell him it’s unfair, right?”

Andrew ruffles her hair affectionately. Lucy inherited his eyes, but her brown hair is curly like her mother’s.

“I’ll see what he tells me first, sweetie,” Andrew says with a warm smile. “I’m sure we can all figure it out, don’t worry about it anymore.”

Lucy beams at him and hugs his legs. Andrew kneels down to give her a proper hug and kiss the top of her head. 

“Now, go and wash your hands, dinner in five minutes!” he says, releasing Lucy from his embrace. She skips off towards the bathroom, and Andrew makes a mental note to visit Mr. Eisenberg at school tomorrow.

~*~*~

Mr. Eisenberg, as it turns out, is probably the most harmless person Andrew has ever seen. He’s about Andrew’s age, which is a little bit surprising – based on what Lucy has told him, he was expecting an old, stern professor, with maybe a slightly terrifying appearance. This image does not compute at all with the… the boy Andrew has now in front of him. He has a mop of untidy, curly hair that keeps falling onto his forehead and into his eyes. He’s currently hunched over some papers laid out on his desk in an otherwise empty classroom, wearing a pair of glasses and a tweed jacket.

Seriously, tweed. And they call Andrew a British hipster.

Andrew knocks twice on the doorframe and offers a small smile when Mr. Eisenberg looks up at him. It doesn’t escape Andrew’s attention that Eisenberg has also a pair of piercing blue eyes.

“Mr. Eisenberg?” Andrew asks, just to be sure, and enters as he receives a nod in response. “Hello, I’m Andrew Garfield, Lucy’s father.”

“Good morning, Mr. Garfield,” Eisenberg says with a friendly smile and takes off his glasses – apparently, he only uses them for reading. “Please, have a seat. What can I do for you?”

Andrew pulls one of the chairs up to Eisenberg’s desk and sits down. He bites down on his lower lip, trying to think about a way to start this conversation without implying that he blames Eisenberg for Lucy’s grade. Which he doesn’t, of course, even less so now that he’s seen her teacher, who is now watching him expectantly, eyebrows raised slightly.

“It’s about Lucy’s grade,” Andrew says finally. “She recently got a D in your class.”

Eisenberg nods again. “She did,” he confirms, and leans back in his chair. Andrew smiles apologetically and continues.

“Look, I know you probably get tons of parents every week complaining about their children’s grades, but I’m really concerned. She’s never gotten a D in her life. What happened?” 

“It’s quite alright, Mr. Garfield, I understand your concern. Truth be told, I’m not sure myself what’s happened. Lucy is one of my brightest students, and she’s been doing wonderfully, but lately she seems… distracted.”

“Distracted? Do you think something’s bothering her?”

“No, I wouldn’t say that… more like she’s not interested in the subject and lacks the motivation to make an effort.”

“And what do you think I can do to help her?”

“Well, it’s possible that she’s just bored with the material. She’s been doing great when we were talking about Native Americans and the Pilgrims, but the biographies of the Founding Fathers seem to not agree with her. The test we’re talking about was about Jefferson, this Friday I’m giving them one on Franklin. It’s possible that once we’re through with this particular material she’ll regain her interest in history.”

“But what about her grades until then? She can’t get any more marks like that, what do you think I should do?”

Andrew immediately thinks he shouldn’t have said that. He’s asked once, Eisenberg has been considerate and helpful, but it’s not his job to tell the parents how to convince their lazy children to study. But of course, Eisenberg has an answer ready.

“You could get her a tutor, I find that getting one-on-one lessons motivates students to make extra effort. In fact, if you would like, I sometimes tutor students who need more of my time or are just particularly interested in the subject.”

“Oh, that is a wonderful idea! Thank you for the offer, Mr. Eisenberg, it’s extremely kind of you.”

“Not a problem. If you could come with Lucy to my house on Thursday, say, six o’clock? I suppose we’ll need about an hour to go over the material for the test.”

“Of course, we’ll be there. Thank you so much, really, I…”

“Mr. Garfield, it’s okay, I’m just as concerned about Lucy’s grade as you are,” Eisenberg says, and gives Andrew an amused, lopsided smile. “Besides, I like teaching, it’s my pleasure.” He reaches for a pen and a piece of paper, then writes down an address and gives it to Andrew. “Here’s my address.”

“Great. Splendid. We will see you Thursday, then.” Andrew beams at Eisenberg as he exits the classroom and receives a matching grin in return. He has a good feeling about this tutoring session, and not just for Lucy’s grade’s sake.

Now, he has to wait a few minutes till Lucy’s last class is over and they can go home.

Predictably, Lucy is less than thrilled when Andrew tells her about his arrangement with Mr. Eisenberg. They’re in the car, trying to get home in the rush hour traffic, and Lucy glares at the back of his head from the back seat.

“But… dad, I don’t want to have MORE lessons with him.”

“Honey, it’s for your own good. Mr. Eisenberg says you’re very smart, and you just need to work a little more. And he offered to help you with that, which is incredibly nice of him.”

“But he’s so…”

“So what?”

“Boring? He’s a _teacher_ ,” she says, scrunching up her nose.

Andrew stifles a laugh and looks at his daughter in the rearview mirror.

“Lucy, that is not a nice thing to say. And it’s not a subject for discussion, we’re going there on Thursday and that’s it.”

Lucy sighs, resigned. “Fine. But I hope it earns me an A!”

Andrew laughs. “Just listen to Mr. Eisenberg and I’m sure it will.”

~*~*~

On Thursday night at six o’clock sharp, Andrew shows up with Lucy in front of Mr. Eisenberg’s door. He’s feeling a little uncertain, because during their previous conversation Jesse did not mention any payment for the tutoring, and since he does that in his house it can’t count as overtime at school. Should Andrew pay him? How much? Would that insult Eisenberg? Perhaps Andrew should have brought something. But what? Not alcohol, not for a tutoring session. Chocolates? But he wasn’t on a date. God, this is difficult.

“Dad?” Lucy says questioningly, squeezing Andrew’s hand. Right, he should probably knock.

Eisenberg opens the door almost right away, the familiar, friendly smile on his face. He’s ditched the tweed jacket and slacks in favor of a worn pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. He doesn’t have his glasses on, but he has a gray cat draped over his shoulder like a scarf. Andrew can’t help but grin at the sight.

“Hello,” he says, smiling.

“Good evening, Mr. Eisenberg,” Lucy says, eyeing the cat curiously.

“Hi, please come in,” Eisenberg says and steps aside to let them inside their apartment. The cat scrambles to get down from Eisenberg’s shoulders, and he sets it down on the floor. Lucy immediately kneels down to pet the animal.

“Aww, you’re so fluffy!” she tells the cat, then raises her eyes at Eisenberg. “What’s his name?”

“Napoleon,” Jesse says, smiling. “I also have one called Emily, and another one named… well, Franklin.”

Lucy eyes him suspiciously. “Really?” 

Andrew laughs, and Eisenberg bites his lower lip as if he were trying not to laugh himself.

“Yes, really,” he says. “I’ve had him for three years. Emily is new, and she’s a little shy, so you might not get to see her today.”

But Lucy seems to be perfectly content with the gray tabby Napoleon she’s cuddling. Then she seems to remember why she’s here, so she picks the cat up, cradles him in her arms and looks up at Eisenberg expectantly. Eisenberg smiles at her, then at Andrew, and leads them into the living room.

Eisenberg’s apartment is not big, but it has an air about it that makes Andrew feel instantly at home. The living room is full of mismatched furniture, seemingly old but in a good condition, armchairs and a sofa looking used and very comfortable. The walls are covered almost completely with full bookshelves. There are old maps hanging on those fragments of the walls that are not covered with books, and the entire room is lit by a couple of lamps hanging from the walls and giving off a warm, slightly dimmed light. There’s another lamp standing behind one of the armchairs, apparently intended to assist with reading. A black cat is curled up in the chair, sleeping soundly – must be Franklin, or Emily. There’s no TV to be seen, just a closed laptop sitting on the wooden coffee table.

“So, if you’d like to stay and wait for Lucy, make yourself at home,” Eisenberg says, gesturing around the living room. “Would you like some coffee or…”

“Thank you, I’m good,” Andrew says, smiling. “You go study, I’ll be fine here.”

“We’ll be in there, it’s my office,” Eisenberg says, and leads Lucy towards an adjacent room. The black cat gets up, jumps off the chair and trots behind Eisenberg.

“Franklin!” Eisenberg says. “Excellent. Come along, you can be of assistance.”

“As what?” Andrew laughs. Eisenberg turns around and shoots him a grin.

“Visual aid,” he says, and two humans and two cats disappear behind the door of Eisenberg’s office.

Andrew is left to his own devices in the living room. Fascinated, he walks around the room, examining the maps and endless rows of books. Some of the maps look really old, all of them look authentic. It figures that a history teacher would have a hobby like that, and Andrew doesn’t find it weird – okay, maybe a little, but in a strangely endearing way. Andrew stands there for a moment, breathing in the homely, comforting atmosphere (which might just be the smell of the dust on the books, he’s not sure), and then curls up in the armchair by the lamp with an Agatha Christie novel.

After a while, he feels like he’s being watched. Andrew doesn’t know if it’s real or just the effect of the book, but he looks up and scans the room carefully. Sure enough, there’s a pair of glowing eyes looking at him from behind one of the potted plants. Looks like he’s found Emily.

Andrew remembers what Eisenberg said about Emily being exceptionally shy, so he quietly returns to his book, careful not to make any sudden movements that could spook the white cat. He occupies himself with the novel again, but soon he feels something warm and fuzzy brush his neck – sure enough, Emily is sitting on the backrest of the chair, cautiously inching towards Andrew’s shoulder. Andrew keeps still, and the cat slowly pats at his shirt, as if she’s testing Andrew’s reaction, and when she apparently assesses that Andrew is not dangerous, she takes a leap and lands on his lap.

When Lucy and Eisenberg emerge from the office some time later, they find Andrew engrossed in his book and absent-mindedly stroking Emily’s white fur. He looks up when he hears them enter and smiles.

“So, how did it go?”

“Great!” Lucy exclaims before Eisenberg can say a word. “Dad, can we please stay for a while so I could play with Franklin and Napoleon? Mr. Eisenberg says it’s okay.”

“I…” Andrew looks at Eisenberg, who looks like he’s fighting a smile. “Is that really all right?”

“Of course,” Eisenberg assures him. “I see you’ve met Emily.”

Andrew looks down on the cat that’s still curled up against his stomach. “Yeah, she was a little shy at first, but then she warmed up to me, I think.”

“Well, that’s a first,” Eisenberg says, and his smile gets wide. “She must really like you.”

Lucy is already on the carpet, getting the cats to chase after her moving hand. After a moment, Emily jumps down from Andrew’s lap and starts circling the other cats, observing but not quite getting close.

“I’m sorry about this,” Andrew says. “She loves cats, and we don’t have any pets, so…”

“It’s okay,” Jesse assures him. “They love people, well, at least Napoleon and Franklin do.”

“Still, it’s nice of you to let her play with them, I know we’re imposing on your time.”

“Not at all,” Eisenberg says warmly, and Andrew decides to stop apologizing. Truth is, he wants to be here just as much as Lucy does, though not for the same reasons.

“Lucy, we can only stay for half an hour, I have to be at the theatre at eight,” Andrew says, and Lucy hums in acknowledgment.

“Would you like some coffee in the meantime?” Eisenberg asks, going through the tiny corridor into what Andrew assumes is a kitchen.

“I’d love some.”

Eisenberg returns after a couple of minutes with two steaming mugs and hands one to Andrew.

“Thank you, Mr. Eisenberg,” Andrew says, accepting a mug.

“Please, call me Jesse,” Eisen… Jesse asks, looking at Andrew over the rim of his mug.

“Very well. I’m Andrew,” Andrew says, smiling, and receives a nod and a smile in response. Jesse’s blue eyes look dark and sparkly in the warm light of the lamps, and Andrew’s stomach does a strange twist.

“I really like your place, it’s so… cozy and peaceful,” Andrew offers lamely.

“Funny, most people who come here complain first and foremost about the lack of a TV,” Jesse comments.

“Nah, a TV would only spoil this room. I have one that I hardly ever watch, but then my apartment is not as nice as yours.”

Jesse looks down into his mug, smirking, like he doesn’t quite believe Andrew’s compliments.

“No, I mean it! I love your maps, is that a hobby?”

Jesse looks up, his eyes even more sparkly than before.

“Yes, I collect them, and sometimes even correct them, too.”

Andrew frowns. “Correct?”

“Yeah, with a Sharpie. You know, marking the new borders on the old maps. These, though,” Jesse says, gesturing at the maps on the walls. ”They are too valuable, so I got them framed to stave off the temptation.”

Andrew looks at him incredulously and bursts into laughter. Jesse grins and takes a sip of his coffee. Jesse is something special, that’s for sure.

Before Andrew knows it, it’s seven thirty and time for them to go home. 

“So, I expect you to ace the test tomorrow,” Jesse says to Lucy as they’re about to leave. Lucy nods and smiles.

“I will,” she promises solemnly, and Andrew laughs and ruffles her hair.

“You know, there are five more Founding Fathers to go, so if you want any help with them you could come again next week,” Jesse offers, looking more at Andrew than at Lucy. 

“What do you say, Lu?” Andrew asks.

“Yes, yes, we will be back! Thank you, sir.” Lucy says, although Andrew has a suspicion she’s more excited about the cats than about the lessons. Oh well, as long as it keeps her studying.

“See you next week, then,” Andrew says. “Oh, and… you didn’t say anything, but these lessons are not exactly part of your job and they don’t pay you for them, so…”

“No, Andrew, it’s okay,” Jesse interrupts him, blushing slightly. “My principal is fine with me tutoring students as long as I don’t take money for it. Besides, I like doing it, so think about it as a friend doing another friend a favor.”

“Oh. Okay then, thank you,” Andrew says and shakes Jesse’s hand. His grip is firm and warm, much like everything connected with Jesse. “Till next Thursday?”

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Jesse says, and it sounds like he means it.

~*~*~

“So, what was it really like?” Andrew asks Lucy on their way home. Lucy shrugs, but her smile belies the attempted indifference.

“It was okay, I guess. Mr. Eisenberg explained everything, and Franklin helped, it was better than school.”

“So he’s not as boring as you thought, huh?” Andrew laughs, and Lucy gives him a full-on smile.

“No, he’s really nice. Different than at school, less nervous.” 

“Would you really like to go there again?” Andrew asks.

“Yes! We will go, right?” 

“Yes, we will,” Andrew laughs. “As long as you’ll do some studying, and not just torment Je… Mr. Eisenberg’s cats.”

 

~*~*~

 

The next time Andrew brings Lucy to Jesse’s apartment, there’s a steaming mug of coffee already waiting for him on the coffee table, along with a plate of cookies (they look homemade) and the novel Andrew started reading the last time he was here. The lamp beside the armchair is lit, and Emily is lounging comfortably on the top of the backrest, fluffy tail swishing back and forth.

Lucy runs off to find Napoleon and Franklin as soon as they entered the apartment, and is now playing with them beside the coffee table that Jesse has set so considerately. Andrew looks at the arrangement, and then at Jesse, noting the way he bites his lip to keep from grinning. Andrew can’t help but give him a bright smile.

“Just wanted you to be comfortable here,” Jesse explains, unasked, and shrugs a little. Andrew doesn’t know what to do. He’s never met anyone as effortlessly charming as Jesse. Every time Andrew looks at him, his heart swells with an unidentified feeling and he just wants to sit Jesse down, wrap him up in a blanket and curl up with him (and maybe with one of the cats as well.) 

“This is lovely, Jesse, thank you so much,” Andrew says instead, then picks up the mug and takes a sip. It’s perfect, strong and sweet - of course Jesse would remember how Andrew likes his coffee even after that one time.

Lucy comes up to them, Napoleon in her arms and Franklin treading right behind. “Sir?” she starts. “Have you graded our tests yet?”

Jesse smiles. “Actually, I have. I shouldn’t show you yours till tomorrow’s class, but… wait a second.” He goes into his office and emerges a few seconds later with Lucy’s test in hand. “See for yourself,” he says, handing the sheet to the girl.

Lucy puts the gray cat down and takes the paper from Jesse. Her eyes go wide. “An A? Really?” She looks at the paper again, then holds it proudly out to Andrew. 

“Really,” Jesse confirms. “You did wonderfully, you remembered everything we talked about. Just like I knew you would.”

“Lucy, this is amazing, great job,” Andrew says, kneeling down and giving his daughter a congratulatory hug. 

“Now, if you want to keep this grade up, we have work to do,” Jesse says, ushering Lucy into his office. 

~*~*~

An hour later Lucy comes out of Jesse’s office with a determined look on her face. Andrew knows she wants something, and he has a feeling about what it is.

“Dad?” she starts, tentatively, approaching the chair he’s sitting in. 

Jesse follows Lucy out of the office, gives Andrew a quick smile, then heads towards the kitchen. All three cats follow him, apparently hoping for a snack.

“Yes?” Andrew prompts. Lucy climbs onto the armchair next to him and tucks herself under his arm. 

“You don’t have to go to work tonight, right?” Lucy asks, making her best puppy eyes at Andrew. 

“That’s right,” Andrew confirms, pretending he doesn’t know what she’s about to ask next.

“Then we could stay here a little longer than last time, right? Please, dad?”

They really shouldn’t be imposing on Jesse’s time. It’s already beyond nice of him to sacrifice his free time tutoring Lucy, and staying longer so she could have a playdate with Jesse’s cats seems extremely rude and inconsiderate. But it also means getting to sit a little longer in this charming room, sipping coffee and talking to Jesse. And maybe, just maybe, watching the way the lamps light up Jesse’s eyes, making their blue irises look darker and warmer.

Truth is, Andrew wants to stay just as much as Lucy, probably more.

“I’ll ask Mr. Eisenberg. If he says it’s alright, I suppose we could…”

“I already asked him,” Lucy interrupts, looking the perfect picture of innocence.

“Lucy! You shouldn’t do that without consulting me first,” Andrew says, frowning. “And what did he say?” he adds, making Lucy laugh.

“That he enjoys your company and you’re welcome to stay as long as you like,” Jesse’s voice answers, and Andrew looks up abruptly. Jesse is standing in the doorway, carrying a tray with a teapot and three china cups.

They sit down next to each other on the couch, Lucy playing with the cats on the opposite side of the room. Jesse cradles his cup in both hands and looks at Andrew curiously.

“So, you’re not doing a show tonight?” he asks, and Andrew gives him a surprised look. He definitely hasn’t spoken to Jesse about his occupation yet.

“No, but how do you…” he starts, puzzled.

“Lucy mentioned you work at a theatre the last time you were here. Besides, I saw you in a play several months ago.”

“You did? Wow, I wonder how I didn’t notice you, you must’ve been like twenty percent of the audience,” Andrew says, and Jesse laughs. Andrew allows himself to stare for a few seconds - of course Jesse has dimples, too. His face is getting more and more ridiculously lovely every minute.

“You’re selling the play short. And yourself.” Jesse says, looking back up at Andrew. He’s not laughing anymore, just smiling, but wide enough that the dimples are still there. Andrew should really stop staring, there must be some rules about perving on your children’s teachers.

“So you like theater?” Andrew prompts, still amazed that Jesse went to see his play.

“I do. Musicals, mostly, but I’ll see any play if it’s interesting enough. Or has good actors. Or both, like the one in question.”

“Well, it’s ending soon anyway, but I’ve already started rehearsals for a new one. You should come see it, too, when it’s out. It’s a Chekhov play, _The Cherry Orchard._

“Really? Wow, that’s… yeah, I’ll be there,” Jesse says, fast and a little flustered. He must really like Chekhov.

They launch into a heated discussion about plays, musicals and actors (“ _American Idiot_ is not _real_ Broadway!” “Agreed, but the cast was brilliant!”), and Andrew doesn’t even notice when it gets late, much later than he originally planned to go home. Lucy doesn’t say a word, being perfectly happy with getting the cats (two of them, as Emily at some point claimed her spot in Andrew’s lap again) to chase after a fuzzy ball on a string, and occasionally stealing a cookie from the full plate sitting on the table.

When Jesse asks them if they’ll come next week, Andrew can’t say yes fast enough.

~*~*~

Andrew really loves his job. He’s been dreaming of becoming an actor since he was a little kid and one of his parents would take him to see matinées on West End almost every Friday afternoon. That was why he came to New York in the first place: to breathe in all the shine and glamour of Broadway, see his biggest dream come alive, unfolding before the eyes of the innocent eighteen-year-old he was back then. 

And that summer he met Amanda.

Andrew felt his dream crumble into pieces when they found out Amanda was pregnant. Instead of chasing his dream, Andrew had to decide what kind of a man (barely nineteen, but he didn’t have the luxury to be a kid anymore) he was. And it turned out that he was the man to leave his home country, move in with his pregnant girlfriend, and get a dead-end job at a coffee shop to at least try to support his new, accidental family.

Amanda broke up with him before Lucy was even born. Andrew wasn’t brokenhearted about it, they were too young and dating for too short a time to really fall in love. But Amanda was carrying his baby, and he wasn’t going to let her go through that alone. He stayed in the neighborhood, working part-time and applying to possibly every acting school in the tri-state area. When one of them accepted him, it was the best day of his life.

Right until that cold, rainy October morning, when little Lucy was born.

Within a year Andrew experienced the worst night of his life as well – the day Amanda was killed by a drunk driver.

Ever since then Andrew’s been juggling between his Starbucks job, acting school, first auditions and first, small roles, all while trying to raise a kid. Amanda’s parents lived on the West Coast, and apart from sending a little financial support now and then, they didn’t offer him much help. Not that he needed it, nor was he inclined to turn his own parents’ world upside down by flying them from London to help him raise Lucy. 

No, that was something he had to do on his own, with a help of a few wonderful people he had in his life. Especially his neighbor, Emma. He’d be lost without her – she's always willing to look after Lucy on the nights he has a show, or when his rehearsals go on for longer than expected. She’s his best, dearest friend, and Lucy loves her. 

All of that Andrew tells Jesse during their long, unhurried talks in the evenings, while Lucy is forming a serious bond with Jesse’s cats. Yes, after all, Andrew loves his life and his job.

Which doesn’t mean that the hardships of acting don't take their toll on him every now and then. Like that one Thursday in late March, the day of one of Lucy’s tutoring sessions with Jesse.

Rehearsal is wild that day. Nothing goes right, and at the end of the day the director just tells them to wrap it up, go home, and come back once they manage to pull their talents back out of their butts. Andrew gladly takes off, picks Lucy up from Emma’s, and heads to Jesse’s place. 

He’s exhausted, though, so much that he can’t even focus on the book Jesse’s left on the coffee table for him. This has become a ritual of theirs - after Andrew finished the first Agatha Christie novel, Jesse started picking out Andrew’s reading for him, and his choices haven't missed yet. Andrew never said a word about it, but he devoured every book Jesse chose for him, although Andrew was not sure if he liked the novels because of their literary value or the fact that Jesse gave them to him. Probably both. 

This time, though, Andrew finds he's too tired to read. He tries, but as he sits in Jesse’s lovely living room, the retro clock on the wall ticking softly, and the book (Akunin’s _He The Lover of Death,_ this time) a comforting weight in his hands, he closes his eyes and lets himself be lulled by Emily’s purring.

The next thing he knows, he’s startled awake by a distant clang of silverware against a pot (or maybe a frying pan, Andrew’s too sleepy to make the distinction). Lucy is quietly playing with Franklin, and Jesse is nowhere to be seen.

“Lucy? God, I’m so sorry, I must have fallen asleep. What time is it?” Andrew says, rubbing his eyes and then running his fingers through his hair, probably making them even more messy than usual in the process.

“Half past eight,” Lucy informs him. “Mr. Eisenberg told me to let you sleep and just play with the cats. He said you looked exhausted.”

Trust Jesse to notice things like that.

“I was. I still am, I think, it’s been a hard day at work. Come on, we have to go now, it’s terribly late.”

“But…” she starts, but is interrupted by Jesse coming out of the kitchen and into the living room. The sleeves of his navy blue button-down are rolled up to his elbows, his curly hair is in disarray, and he’s smiling the way he always does when he looks at Andrew.

“Jesse!” Andrew exclaims, standing up. “I’m so sorry, I was just tired, you should’ve woken me up earlier…”

“Have you eaten anything today?” Jesse asks, a non-sequitur if there ever was one.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“Uh… yeah, I guess, in the morning. I really haven’t had the time.”

Jesse shakes his head, his smile belying the gesture.

“Dinner in five minutes. Then you may go. You have to take care of yourself, Andrew, not just of Lucy.”

“Why? I have you,” Andrew says, and deliberately bites his tongue the very next second. What on Earth made him say that? He must still be delirious from sleep deprivation. And hunger. Yes, it must be it. 

But before he can apologize and take it back, Jesse gives him a blinding grin, and Andrew forgets what he was about to say.

When they all sit at the table later, in Jesse’s brightly lit kitchen, sipping orange juice and engaging in an easy banter, Andrew marvels at how domestic this whole scene looks. Andrew watches Jesse (and his dimples) as he laughs with Lucy about something that’s happened in class earlier that day, and feels like he wants to keep the three of them together at that table forever.

Which, considering that he’s only met Jesse two months earlier and he’s not (he shouldn’t be) anything more than his daughter’s teacher and his own tentative friend, might mean that Andrew is just a little bit screwed.

 

~*~*~

 

It’s the middle of April, but the weather feels more like November. Lucy’s been coughing and sneezing since the beginning of the week, but on Wednesday morning it gets so bad that Andrew has to call her school to let them know she’s not coming and drive her to the doctor.

It doesn’t make the director particularly happy when Andrew is two hours late to the rehearsal, but he doesn’t have a choice. He calls Emma, begging her to take the afternoon shifts at the shop she works in for a few days, but she just tells him to shut up and get his ass to work, she’s got it. So, Emma is staying with Lucy for the rest of the day, and Andrew is free to worry while at work instead of hovering over his daughter.

Andrew comes home in the evening and realizes there’s one more thing he has to cancel for Lucy: their appointment with Jesse. 

So on Thursday night, instead of being at Jesse’s apartment, Andrew finds himself sitting on a couch in his own living room with Lucy curled up into his side, a blanket tucked snugly around them both, and they’re just about to watch _How to Train Your Dragon_.

Just as Andrew is about to press play, somebody rings the doorbell. First Andrew just wants to ignore it, but the visitor is persistent and after the third ring, Andrew gets up and goes to get the door. Just to see Jesse standing there with a shy smile and a paper folder in his hands.

“Hi,” Jesse says, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, like he’s not sure if he should be there.

“Hi yourself,” Andrew says with a smile and moves to let Jesse in. “Come in, it’s freezing,” he adds. He leads Jesse into the living room. Jesse smiles at Lucy, who beams at him from under the blankets, right before going into the next coughing fit.

“I just thought I’d bring Lucy the materials and assignments from the last class,” Jesse explains, putting the folder he was holding on the coffee table.

“Thank you, but… you didn’t have to do that,” Andrew says, looking at Jesse incredulously. Seriously, could this man get any nicer?

“I know, but… I felt out of place alone in my apartment tonight. Seems like my Thursday nights belong to you two anyway, so I might as well make myself useful,” Jesse explains.

Andrew feels like his heart just grew three sizes. He can’t say a word for a minute, because. Just. Jesse. 

Andrew’s fully aware of the fact that he’s been steadily developing a heart-wrenching crush on Jesse for at least a month, probably longer. Jesse, who’s nice enough to sacrifice every Thursday night to help Andrew’s daughter keep up her grades and indulge her love for cats. Jesse, who so thoughtfully picks out books for Andrew to read when he’s waiting for Lucy, and who lets Andrew take them home when he just can’t wait another week to finish a particular book. Jesse, who’s so quiet and smart and nice and caring and absolutely, overwhelmingly adorable. And who’s now standing in the middle of Andrew’s living room, looking uncomfortable and glancing at Andrew expectantly, like he needs reassurance that it’s okay for him to be here.

Andrew wants to tell him just how extremely okay it is, and how his own Thursday night didn’t feel complete, either, and how he pretty much wants to see Jesse every night of every day.

“Jesse, would you like some coffee?” he says instead. 

“Oh… thanks, but I’m not staying. Lucy’s sick and you probably don’t need visitors bothering you right now.

“Nonsense. You’ve done us a favor, the least I can do is make you a cup of coffee. Please sit down.”

Going into the kitchen, Andrew can see in the corner of his eye as Jesse sits down on a couch next to Lucy, and she tucks herself into his side.

As he gets the coffee maker going, he can hear Lucy’s voice coming from the living room.

“Mr. Eisenberg, will you watch a movie with us?” she asks, her voice sounding raspy and miserable. If Jesse says no, it will mean he has no heart. But, well, it’s Jesse, so he can only answer in one way.

“Sure. What movie?”

“ _How to Train Your Dragon._ Dad says it’s good, but I haven’t seen it yet. Have you?”

Jesse laughs. “Yes, I have. And your dad, huh? I wouldn’t picture him the type to watch cartoons in his free time.”

“Right back at you,” Andrew says, coming back into the living room, carrying a tray with two cups of coffee and a mug of fruit tea for Lucy. “And I have a kid, which obligates me to be familiar with every Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks movie ever created. What’s your excuse?”

Jesse shrugs. “I like dragons, they’re warm and cuddly,” he says, which makes Andrew laugh out loud.

Lucy grabs Andrew’s hand and pulls him onto the couch. She is now wedged between Andrew and Jesse and looks really comfortable in her spot. 

“Are we watching the movie or what?” she asks impatiently.

“Sure we are, sweetheart,” Andrew says and presses the play button on the DVD remote, then leans back against the cushions. He throws his arm around Lucy, his hand brushing Jesse’s shoulder, but Jesse doesn’t flinch away from the touch. He smiles a little, but his eyes are firmly fixed on the TV screen, so Andrew’s not sure if it’s because of this, the movie, or the fact that Lucy just tucked her hand into Jesse’s.

Which, okay. Andrew thinks his chest is too small to contain all the feelings he has at this sight.

 

When the movie ends Lucy can barely contain her excitement.

“I want a dragon!” she informs Andrew. “I’ll feed him, play with him, and he can fly me to school every day.”

“Dragons make terrible pets,” Andrew says, struggling to keep a straight face. “Sure, they’re cute, but they’re also big and noisy, and not to mention they can burn down your apartment if they’re miffed.”

“Not to mention they scare the cats,” Jesse contributes. 

“I don’t have cats,” Lucy offers, frowning thoughtfully. “I could have a dragon, we’d just need a bigger house.”

“You have everything planned out, don’t you?” Andrew says, laughing. “Okay, you two chat about dragons some more, I’ll go make us some supper.”

“Do you need a hand?” Jesse offers as Andrew stands up.

“No, I’m good, I’ve done most of the work before the movie,” Andrew says, smiling. Jesse smiles back and returns to his conversation with Lucy. 

Andrew can hear her voice as he retreats to the kitchen: “I’d rather have a cat than a dragon, though. They’re fluffier. I gotta get dad to buy me a cat!”

 

After supper, when Lucy is tucked into bed, Jesse decides it’s time for him to go home. All Andrew can think about as he sees Jesse out is how nice this evening has been, how good Jesse and Lucy are getting along, and how he himself wants to have this more often. Every night, if he can. So when Jesse turns to him to say goodbye, Andrew can’t help himself.

“Do you want to come over tomorrow?” Andrew asks. “I took a few days off work, and it’s a _Shrek_ night!” he adds. Jesse looks surprised, and for a moment Andrew dreads the answer.

“Cool, more dragons,” Jesse says eventually, beaming. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” 

 

~*~*~

 

It’s four thirty in the afternoon and Jesse is running late. 

Lucy watches Andrew suspiciously as he fidgets restlessly, looks at the clock and at the door, and then checks his watch for good measure. They are all telling him the same thing: Jesse is very late. In fact, he might not be coming at all. 

It’s all Andrew’s fault, obviously. So what if Jesse came by yesterday, that was just because he cares about Lucy’s education. A teacher stopping by to give his student homework is perfectly normal. Inviting said teacher to join a family movie night isn’t. No wonder Jesse’s not here - unlike Andrew, he probably has a sense of propriety. 

“Dad, I’m hungry,” Lucy complains. “Can we order the pizza now?”

Andrew wanted to cook a proper dinner, since they were having a guest and all, but Lucy insisted on pizza and she was sick, so who was Andrew to tell her no. 

It doesn’t matter anyway now, since Jesse is obviously not here and it’s just the two of them.

“Sure, honey,” Andrew says, and picks up the phone. He orders a large pizza, just in case, then goes to put the first DVD in.

“Aren’t we waiting for Mr. Eisenberg?” Lucy asks.

“I don’t think he’s coming, sweetie. He’s probably busy,” Andrew says, sitting next to her on the couch and cuddling her close.

“Too bad,” Lucy states. “He’s fun.”

Andrew looks at her incredulously. “Really?” he asks. “Whatever happened to your ‘all teachers are boring’ theory?”

Lucy shrugs. “He happened. He’s not boring. I mean, he sometimes is, in class, when he starts talking really fast about some dead guy from a hundred years ago, but he’s not boring with you.”

“You think so? Why do you think...”

“Shh, the movie’s starting!”

Andrew shuts up, and resolves to focus on the TV screen instead of thinking about Jesse.

Thirty minutes later the doorbell rings.  
“Well, at least we have pizza,” Andrew says, and goes to open the door.

But it’s not the pizza guy standing on the doorstep, it’s Jesse. He’s still wearing his work clothes, slacks and the ever-present tweed jacket, and he’s cradling a box of chocolates in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. He looks nervous and apologetic, but Andrew can’t be mad at him, because he’s here. Obviously, it makes sense.

“Hi,” Jesse says, and offers Andrew a cautious smile. Andrew returns it and lets Jesse in. “I’m so sorry I’m late, I got held up at work, but I got here as fast as I could,” Jesse explains.

“Well, you missed almost the entire first movie,” Andrew says, grinning. Jesse grins back.

“I might remember a thing or two from the plot, I think I’ll catch up.”

Jesse looks pale - well, more so than usual, and there are dark circles under his eyes. Even his curls look tired. Andrew wants to wrap him up in a blanket and feed him cookies until he doesn’t look so exhausted anymore.

“You haven’t been home at all today, have you?” Andrew asks, even though he already knows the answer.

“Not since this morning, no,” Jesse admits. “I was unforgivably late already, so...”

“So, I’m guessing you haven’t eaten as well.”

“Hey, that’s my line!”

“Not if you’re at my house. Well, we have pizza coming, and I think there’s a slice or two with your name on it.”

“Excellent,” Jesse says, smiling. “Now, let’s catch the end of that movie, shall we?”

~*~*~

Lucy passes out halfway through _Shrek the Third_ , having previously eaten most of the chocolates Jesse brought. Andrew carries her to her bedroom, tucks her in, and returns to the living room. He finds Jesse still on the couch, watching the rest of the movie, a small, amused smile on his face. He raises his eyes at Andrew when he walks back into the room.

“Enjoying the movie?” Andrew asks.

“Actually, it’s a very interesting take on adapting Arthurian legends to a contemporary audience. As long as it encourages at least one kid to check out the original stories, I’m all for it.”

Andrew picks up the bottle of wine Jesse has brought, then goes to the kitchen to find a corkscrew and two wine glasses. He pours the wine, gives one of the glasses to Jesse and sits down right next to him on the couch.

“I should invite you to one of our Disney nights,” Andrew says. “I’m curious what would you say about their interpretations.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare diminish them,” Jesse replies. “See, putting Arthurian legends in quasi-high school setting might be fun, and that’s why movies like _Shrek_ are okay, but Disney is a whole other story. There’s no way to overestimate selling Shakespeare to children under the cover of a fluffy musical with singing animals.”

“When has Disney ever made a movie based on Shakespeare?” Andrew asks, confused.

Jesse looks at him incredulously. “ _The Lion King_? I thought you were a self-proclaimed expert on cartoons, and you didn’t notice that the first movie is nothing else but an adaptation of _Hamlet_?”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Think about it.”

“Well, maybe there’s something... Wait, and the second _Lion King_?”

“ _Romeo and Juliet,_ obviously.”

“Obviously...” Andrew repeats, and laughs. “Jesse, I swear, you’re one of a kind.”

Jesse just smiles and looks down, cradling his glass of wine in both hands. Andrew looks at him, and can’t help but wonder. He could explain Jesse’s visit the day before as a concern of a teacher for his student. He could explain the hours they spend together after Lucy’s tutoring sessions as Jesse just being friendly and polite. But he can’t explain why Jesse was so determined to hang out with Lucy and him that he came here right after work, not even giving himself the time to change and eat some lunch. Andrew doesn’t know whether he can let himself hope or not, and it’s killing him. He has to know.

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask since yesterday... Do you always visit sick students to bring them homework and chocolate, or are we just special?”

Jesse doesn’t look up, his smile just gets a little bit wider. He seems to consider Andrew’s question, taking a sip of his wine.

“What do you think?” he says eventually, instead of giving an answer.

“I don’t know what to think. You seem too nice to be real,” Andrew laughs as if he were joking, but Jesse has no idea how serious he’s being.

This is what makes Jesse looks up, one eyebrow raised.

“You’re the one to talk,” he says, smiling. Andrew grins and shakes his head.

“Jesse, what I mean is... this, these visits, and the tutoring... It’s more than just a teacher helping his student, isn’t it?”

“Well, it wasn’t at the beginning,” Jesse says. “But now... you’re right, I don’t visit sick students and I don’t bring them anything, and I most certainly don’t sit around drinking wine with their parents.”

Andrew beams at him. “So, you’re saying that we are special after all,” he says.

Jesse laughs. “Yes, yes you are,” he admits.

Andrew takes a deep breath, and looks at Jesse, serious. He has to try, or spend another few weeks beating himself up over a missed chance. He’s not even sure if it is a chance, but he has to take it anyway.

“Look, Jesse... I know it’s a long shot, but would you like to, sometimes... maybe go out with me? Without Lucy, just the two of us.”

There. He said it. His heart is fluttering like a spooked sparrow, and Jesse is looking at him with an unreadable expression. Well, at least he’s not laughing, that probably goes in the win column. 

“Are you asking me out on a date?” Jesse says slowly.

“That depends. I am if you say yes. If you say no, just assume I was asking a friend to hang out together and you’re welcome to take that raincheck and never take me up on it, no hard feelings--”

“Andrew,” Jesse interrupts him, laughing. “It’s a yes.”

 

~*~*~

 

Next Friday night Andrew can’t get out of the theatre fast enough. Gathering his things, he shouts a goodbye in the general direction of his costars and runs out, swiftly avoiding any fans that could want to talk to him. 

The play is not very popular, but there usually are a few members of the audience waiting for the cast outside the stage door, and Andrew makes a point of never blowing them off. It's partly because he promised himself he would never do that when he was still an aspiring actor looking to meet his idols, and partly because he himself sometimes still hangs out by the stage door, waiting to see his favorite Broadway stars. One way or another, it sucks when you wait for someone who never shows up. 

But this night nothing can keep him there longer than he absolutely has to stay. It’s the night of his long awaited date with Jesse (a week _is_ a long wait - it’s _Jesse_ , after all.) Lucy is spending the evening at Emma’s place, and Andrew is free to leave as soon as the show ends. 

He shows up at the bar they’re supposed to meet at only slightly late, but very much breathless and probably disheveled, but he really doesn’t care. He runs down the steps leading to the entrance, yanks the heavy door open and bursts in the bar, looking around for the familiar mop of curls.

Sure enough, Jesse is already there, sipping at a beer and looking absolutely gorgeous. Well, all right, to Andrew he always looks gorgeous, even more so when his face lights up like it does just now at the sight of Andrew. 

He’s sitting at the other side of the room, in the most secluded corner. Andrew approaches him, maneuvering between the tables, and is not sure what to do next. Does he shake Jesse’s hand? Kiss him on the cheek? Give him a hug? Andrew hasn’t been on a date since he broke up with Lucy’s mother – he’s had neither time nor inclination to date, and he feels like he lacks basic dating knowledge now. His only consolation is that Jesse might have just as little experience as Andrew. He’s kind of hoping for that, actually. 

“Hello. Sorry I’m late, I got here as soon as I could,” Andrew excuses himself, and before he can resolve his dilemma about the appropriate manner of greeting, Jesse just smiles at him and gestures towards the empty chair opposite him.

“You didn’t have to rush,” Jesse says, and drains the rest of his beer. Right. He must’ve arrived early. Andrew feels terribly guilty about making him wait. 

“I wanted to,” Andrew says, and Jesse’s smile widens. “I’m going to grab a drink, you want another one?” Andrew offers. Jesse nods, so Andrew goes to the bar and brings back two bottles of beer.

“You had a show tonight?” Jesse asks.

“Yeah, one of the first nights. No pressure or anything,” Andrew laughs. “You should come see it, I hear it’s not bad.”

“I will,” Jesse says, and goes silent. They both sip on their drinks for a few moments, not sure what to say. Strangely enough, they’ve never had a problem talking earlier, but the added pressure of this being a date seems to result in some unexpected awkwardness. 

“Andrew, look…” Jesse starts, picking nervously at the label of his beer bottle. “I don’t do this much. I mean… I don’t date. I don’t know what you’re expecting and I just… I’m sorry, I’m a mess,” Jesse ends, looking even more nervous and miserable. Andrew can feel his heart swell up and melt at the same time. He reaches across the table and grabs Jesse’s hand, feeling reassured by the fact that Jesse doesn’t yank his hand away from Andrew’s grip.

“Jess, it’s okay,” Andrew says. “I have no clue what I’m doing either, I haven’t been on a date in years.”

Jesse looks at him incredulously. “Why?” he asks simply.

“Uh... I don’t know. I haven’t really had the time, between Lucy and work.”

“You have time for me,” Jesse says, and Andrew can’t figure out whether he’s asking or just stating a fact.

“Yes, I do,” Andrew agrees. “It’s not just the time, I haven’t… well, there’s been nobody interesting enough to bother finding time for.”

Jesse’s eyebrows shoot up and disappear under his curls. “And I am?”

Andrew sighs, exasperated, and squeezes Jesse’s hand. “Of course! Jess, you have to know that. Do you really not know what you’re doing to me?”

“I think I’m getting the idea now,” Jesse says, grinning. “Also, right back at you.”

After breaking the initial awkwardness, the date goes rather smoothly. Enough so that Andrew proposes another one for next Friday, and Jesse agrees.

 

“You really haven’t been on a date since Lucy’s mom?” Jesse asks after few more beers. He couldn’t pick a better moment – Andrew usually wears his heart on a sleeve, and when he’s tipsy he’s practically shoving his feelings into everyone’s face. Jesse should get used to this.

“Not since we broke up, no. I was working all the time, and then I was alone with Lucy and just didn’t think about dating at all.”

Jesse nods sympathetically. “I understand. You had a hard time, but you did a wonderful job. Lucy’s a great kid, and she’s happy.”

Andrew lights up, as he always does when someone mentions Lucy. “I hope she is. I am, too, but… I think maybe something’s been missing from my life.”

“Yeah, I think I know what you mean.”

“So, what about you? Why have you been dateless? Don’t tell me there’s been no interest, because I won’t believe you anyway,” Andrew says, smiling, and Jesse laughs.

“I used to have a girlfriend. We were together in college, and in grad school, and then she got a job in California and left. That’s the whole story.”

“And you didn’t consider moving away with her?”

Jesse shrugs. “She never asked me. And, truth be told, I didn’t want to. We had a good time together, but… I guess she wasn’t what I was looking for.” Jesse looks at Andrew, a warm smile on his lips, and his eyes glittering in the dimmed light of the bar.

“I’m sure you’ll find it.” Andrew says, and hopes that his eyes express just what he means them to.

~*~*~

It’s raining when they leave the bar, a warm, late April shower that makes Andrew think more of the summer coming up than reminds him of autumn weather. Neither of them has an umbrella, but Andrew doesn’t mind and apparently, neither does Jesse.

They reach Jesse’s building in less than ten minutes.

“Andrew,” Jesse starts, turning to face him. “I had a really, really great time and I’m very happy we’re going to do this again.”

He sounds too official and too solemn. Andrew has a feeling this can’t lead to anything good.

“But…?” he prompts. If Jesse has something unpleasant to say to him, it’s better to get this over with right away.

“But I’m still getting used to dating again. And I want to take this slow,” Jesse adds, and gives Andrew a meaningful look.

“Oh… Oh! Of course, Jesse, don’t worry about that. It’s alright. I have to pick up Lucy from Emma’s anyway, and it’s late.”

Jesse looks relieved. “Oh, good. I mean, not… um… it’s not that I don’t want to. I do. Just… let’s not rush into anything, okay?”

“Okay,” Andrew says, and squeezes Jesse’s hand reassuringly. “Jesse, I’m really fine with waiting. We’ll do this right, I promise.”

Jesse beams at him. “Thanks. You… you’re really wonderful,” Jesse says, then reaches up with his free hand to cup the back of Andrew’s neck and pulls him down for a kiss.

It’s everything Andrew’s dreamt of, and more. Jesse’s lips are soft and careful, the kiss tentative but determined at the same time. Andrew lets go of Jesse’s hand to wrap his arms around him and pull him close, flush against his own body, and kisses back with all he has. 

Just as Andrew’s about to get lost in the kiss completely, Jesse tenses up and pulls back abruptly. Andrew looks at him, confused, and sees that Jesse has his eyes set on a man quickly walking away from them, hidden under an orange umbrella. Jesse’s face is blank, nothing like this hopeful, happy expression he had just a few moments ago. Andrew has a sudden, terrible feeling in his stomach.

“Jesse, what’s the matter?” Andrew asks softly, concerned. “Who is that?”

“My coworker. A teacher at Lucy’s school. He saw us.”

“So?”

“So, I-- Nobody knows that I--” Jesse stops, then takes a deep, shaky breath and continues. “He doesn’t like me very much. In fact, he’d be most happy to see me leave the school for good. And now he recognized me, and you too, probably, from the parent-teacher night a few weeks ago.”

Shit. Andrew knew he was walking a fine line dating his daughter’s teacher, but he never meant to cause any problems for Jesse.

“Oh. I’m sorry, Jesse, I shouldn’t--”

“No. It’s not your fault, it’s nobody’s fault. I just… I should go. Thank you, and… goodnight.” Jesse gives Andrew a one last, small smile, then turns away and goes inside the building.

“Goodnight,” Andrew whispers, standing in the rain and not sure what to do or what to think. 

~*~*~

 

Andrew is out of sorts for the entire weekend. He can’t focus on anything, catches himself staring out in the space for long minutes, and when Lucy starts looking at him with wide, worried eyes and asks him what’s wrong, he realizes that he should probably get a grip and stop moping.

At least until he talks to Jesse.

He forces himself to smile and reassure Lucy that everything is okay. He didn’t lie to her about going out with Jesse, but that doesn’t mean he feels comfortable telling her exactly what has happened.

Truth be told, he’s not sure himself what has happened. And Jesse is not helping, what with the radio silence and all. Andrew’s tried to call him at least a dozen times and each time it goes straight to voicemail.

He understands why Jesse would freak out like that. They’re not breaking any written rules, but Andrew is well aware of how much harm can malicious rumours do, especially in a school environment. Kids are cruel, and grown-ups can be even more cruel, and Andrew would never forgive himself if his selfish needs and desires cause problems for either Lucy or Jesse.

But Andrew saves the beating himself up for after he sees Jesse on Thursday night.

~*~*~

Jesse is nervous and jumpy. When Andrew and Lucy come in, he doesn’t even look at Andrew, he just says hello with his eyes downcast. He’s cradling Napoleon in his arms, holding him in front of his chest like a fluffy shield. 

Before Andrew can say anything, Jesse ushers Lucy to his office and Andrew is left alone with his thoughts in the living room. There is a mug of coffee waiting for him on the table, as usual. The sight of it soothes Andrew’s nerves a bit, but it’s not enough for him to stop worrying about Jesse’s behaviour.

He tries to sit down and read, but ends up restlessly pacing the room for an hour until Lucy’s lesson is over and they emerge from the office. Lucy runs off to play with the cats, unprompted, like she always does.

Jesse puts both his hands in his hoodie pocket and finally looks at Andrew.

“We need to talk,” he starts. Andrew knows that’s never a good thing. He follows Jesse to the couch and they sit down next to each other. Jesse is not looking at him again, and that just won’t do. Andrew reaches out and takes Jesse’s hand in his.

“Talk to me, Jess. What’s wrong? Did that asshole at work get you in trouble?”

Jesse doesn’t raise his eyes, just keeps looking at their joined hands.

“No. I mean, he tried, he went to the principal and tried to convince him that you’re sleeping with me to keep Lucy’s grades up,” Jesse says, and his mouth quirks in a small, sad smile. Andrew is speechless for a few seconds.

“That’s just…” he finally manages to say. Jesse raises his eyebrows and nods.

“I know. And principal Sorkin knows, too. There’s nothing in the rules against what we were doing, and Lucy is doing great in all her classes. There’s no evidence that I’ve been giving her any special treatment while we were dating.”

Andrew doesn’t miss Jesse using the past tense and is afraid to ask, but he has to know.

“Were? As in, not anymore?”

Jesse sighs and looks down again. He gives Andrew’s hand a squeeze and then lets go of it.

“Andrew, I’m sorry, but I think that’s the best thing to do right now.”

Wait, what? Didn’t Jesse just say that his job was safe regardless of their date? Andrew feels like he’s stopped following Jesse’s logic again.

“Oh? How so? I thought the principal…”

“Yes, but the fact that Sorkin is okay with me dating a student’s parent doesn’t mean that the other teachers won’t get sucked into this asshole’s schemes, and that might get the parents thinking, especially those whose children are getting worse grades. And when the kids hear something about that at home… believe me, kids can be incredibly cruel. You wouldn’t want that for Lucy.”

“Lucy. Is that your reason for breaking up with me?”

“Andrew, I don’t care what they say or think about me. But Lucy, I—I’d hate myself forever if anything bad happened to her because of me.”

“That… shit, that actually makes sense. But, Jesse, you can’t blame yourself for every asshole who wants to make your life miserable.”

“I know! I hate this. In case you haven’t noticed, I like you. I wanted to… well, it doesn’t matter now. It’s not only about my job, or you, or whatever it was between us, but it’s mostly about Lucy and I’m sorry, but I can’t do this,” Jesse says, then stands up and turns away from Andrew. Like he doesn’t want Andrew to see his face.

There’s a long silence, and then Andrew speaks up.

“So I’m guessing our date tomorrow is canceled, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry,” Jesse says quietly, still turned away from him. Andrew gets up and puts a comforting hand on Jesse’s shoulder, even though heaven knows he could use that himself right now. But the fact that Jesse would care for Lucy more than himself, it’s just… Andrew doesn’t even know what to make of the tight feeling in his chest right now. 

“Jesse. Never apologize to me for looking out for Lucy. I—I wish things were different, you know that, but I’m actually really grateful that you put her well-being before yours. You’re just—you.”

Jesse scoffs and steps forward, away from Andrew’s hand, breaking the contact. He turns around and looks Andrew straight in the eye.

“Yeah, well, hold that thought,” Jesse says. He takes a deep breath and continues.“I also think that you shouldn’t be coming over after tonight. Lucy doesn’t need tutoring any more, and… Better safe than sorry, right?”

“Right… Well, I guess we should be going now.”

Jesse doesn’t reply.

~*~*~

Andrew tries to keep himself collected for the entire ride home, mostly for Lucy’s sake. She seems to be lost in her own thoughts, though.

“Dad?” she starts after a while. Andrew glances at the rearview mirror and meets her eyes.

“Yeah, honey?” he prompts.

“Mr. Eisenberg told me that we won’t be having any more lessons, but he didn’t tell me why. Did he tell you?”

“Oh… Yes, sweetie, he did. It’s just he’s very busy right now, with work and all, and he thinks that you’ll be all right on your own now.”

“If this is the reason, why do you look so sad? Just like Mr. Eisenberg did today. People don’t look sad because they’re busy, what’s really going on?”

Right. And here he thought he could fool his daughter.

“You’re too smart for your own good, you know?” he says, smiling. 

“I know,” she replies, smiling back, without a trace of smugness in her voice.

Andrew owes her the truth. She’d call him out on any lie right now, anyway.

“See, some people don’t think Mr. Eisenberg should be friends with us while he’s also your teacher. They think he’s giving you good grades because we’re friends,” Andrew explains, and Lucy frowns at his words.

“But that’s stupid,” she sums up, and Andrew can’t help but smile again.

“Yes. But there’s nothing we can do about it right now, except stop seeing him for a while,” Andrew says, and his smile fades at once. His words give him a sense of finality, like the thing (breakup? Can you even break up with someone you haven’t started properly dating yet?) between him and Jesse got more real just because he said it out loud.

“That’s so unfair,” Lucy says, and goes quiet. For the rest of the ride she’s looking out the window, eyebrows knitted and mouth slightly pouted.

 

When they reach their apartment, Lucy looks up at Andrew with a determined look on her face and squeezes his hand.

“You know what, daddy? I’m going to ace the history class. On my own.”

Andrew kneels down to look her in the eye. Her face is solemn, and there’s a fierce kind of spark in her eyes.

“I’m sure you will. You want to show them that you can do it without the extra lessons, huh?”

“Well, that too. But I don’t care about them, not really.”

“Then why do you want this A so badly?”

“Because Mr. Eisenberg would want me to get it. And I don’t want to let him down, not after all he’s done for us.”

All Andrew can do now is hug her tightly and wish Jesse could hear her words.

 

~*~*~

“Emma, please!” Andrew doesn’t care anymore that his voice sounds high-pitched and desperate. He _is_ desperate.

“I’m sorry, I really can’t! I got stuck with an extra shift, one of my coworkers got food poisoning and I have to cover for her. I can only do so many favors at a time, Andrew.”

“Oh bollocks… What am I supposed to do now?”

“Do you really HAVE TO go to work tonight?”

“Yes! The lead actress broke her leg, and the director wants to do a rehearsal with her understudy before tomorrow’s show. I can’t not show up, he provided me with a very graphic description of what he’d to do me if I don’t, and I’m very much attached to all my body parts and would like them to stay where they are, thank you very much.”

“Oh boy… I don’t know, honey. Is there nobody else you could call?”

“I don’t think so…”

Emma doesn’t say anything for a minute, like she’s hesitating.

“How about Jesse?” She suggests finally. Andrew can’t say he hasn’t thought about it, but… yeah. Maybe not the best idea.

“Emma, I told you--”

“Yeah, I know, you broke up. But it’s an emergency, right? Won’t hurt to try.”

That actually makes sense. Andrew hates when Emma is right.

“I’ll… consider it. Thanks anyways.”

“Good luck, Andrew,” Emma says sympathetically and hangs up.

Andrew hasn’t spoken to Jesse since… well, if Emma calls it a breakup, then he supposes that’s what it is, even though they haven’t had a proper relationship. 

Yes, Andrew misses Jesse, of course he does. Thursday nights spent in Jesse’s living room became a fixed part of Andrew’s every week, to the point where he found himself pacing nervously around his own room (Lucy was in her bedroom, studying history, like she does every night now.) 

Andrew misses Jesse. That’s yet another reason why he would prefer to avoid calling him. It’s one thing to accept that Jesse is now only his daughter’s teacher and only see him on parent-teacher nights. But calling Jesse to beg him to come over to Andrew’s house to look after his daughter, hearing Jesse’s voice – maybe surprised, maybe distant, maybe— well, that’s just sheer torture. 

But it’s almost six thirty and Andrew _really_ has to leave in the next half an hour, so he gathers up all his courage, picks up his phone and dials Jesse’s number.

Jesse picks up after five rings, like he had to take a moment to decide whether he wanted to answer at all.

“Hello?” Jesse says. He sounds cautious, but not unhappy to hear from Andrew.

“Jesse! I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t be calling you, but it’s an emergency and I need help, and right now you’re the only person I can ask.” Andrew stops blabbering and takes a deep breath. Apparently, he can’t talk to Jesse anymore without getting verbal diarrhea.

“Andrew, is everything okay? Is Lucy alright?” Jesse sounds concerned. No wonder, Andrew must’ve come off a little panicked, at the least. But Jesse can’t know that it’s more about talking to him than about Andrew’s problem.

“What? Oh, yes, it’s not that kind of emergency. Work emergency, more like. I absolutely have to be at the theater in half an hour and I don’t have anyone to watch after Lucy. My usual babysitter is busy, and I’m desperate. Please, Jesse.”

“I… Okay, I’ll be there in twenty.”

“Really?”

“Well, yes. You need help and I’m not busy. That’s what friends are for, right?”

Friends. So that’s what they are now. Andrew supposes it’s better than “strangers who were sort of on a date once”. He can be friends with Jesse, it’s completely fine with him.

If only his feelings would be so kind as to shut the fuck up for five seconds.

“Right. Thank you so much!”

“No problem. I’m leaving now. I’ll see you in a moment.”

“Bye.”

Jesse makes it to Andrew’s place in twenty-five minutes, which leaves just enough time for Andrew to thank him about a hundred more times.

“Any time, Andrew, really. So, where’s Lucy?”

“In her room. Er, studying. It’s all she’s been doing lately, to tell the truth. I haven’t told her you’re staying with her, so… I don’t know, you can surprise her.”

Jesse smiles at his words. Andrew is sure Lucy will be thrilled to see him, and it’s good to know that Jesse is not opposed to spending time with her, either. 

Andrew refuses to feel jealous of his own daughter.

“You know, she’s doing amazing at school right now. She really doesn’t need me anymore,” Jesse says, and Andrew detects a dangerous hint in his words. If Lucy doesn’t need him, then Andrew doesn’t need him, and Jesse is free to disappear from their lives. Except he’s not doing that on Andrew’s watch, but Andrew can’t tell him that now.

In fact, he absolutely has to leave right this moment.

“Right… Okay, I have to go, thank you again, make yourself at home, have a good time… did I forget anything?”

Jesse laughs. Andrew has forgotten how adorable his dimples were.

Oh, who is he kidding. Of course he hasn’t.

“I think you covered everything. Go, you’ll be late!”

Andrew turns once again in the doorway to look at Jesse. He’s standing there, one hand on the door, ready to close them after Andrew, and a soft smile on his face. He looks so domestic, so _right_ there in that spot, and Andrew suddenly has a familiar tight feeling in his chest he doesn't even try to fight.

~*~*~

There seems to be no end to the rehearsal tonight. Everything that could possibly go wrong, does: the lights malfunction, the costume for the understudy is the wrong size, everybody is unfocused and irritated and basically, no scene goes right. Everybody would be most happy with just calling it a night and going home, but the director seems to be hellbent on making everything perfect before tomorrow’s performance. So he makes them repeat the scenes over and over again, and by the time he finally lets them go it’s after midnight, and Andrew is completely, utterly exhausted.

Of course, the late hour also means that Jesse is spending the night at Andrew’s place. Even if he insists on going back home now, Andrew will not let him – Jesse’s done him a huge favor, the least Andrew can do is put him up on the couch and not make him go out in the night.

The thought that Jesse is there, taking care of Lucy and waiting for Andrew is frighteningly comforting. Andrew lets the warm feeling spread through him for a few moments before he forces himself to remember that this is only for tonight, only because it’s an emergency, and it’s done purely as a friendly favor.

Sometimes, the truth sucks. 

When Andrew enters his apartment, it’s perfectly silent. Right, Lucy must’ve already gone to bed, and Jesse is probably reading somewhere.

Andrew goes to Lucy’s room to check on her and the scene he sees takes his breath away.

The night lamp on the nightstand is on, giving off a soft, warm light. Lucy is sleeping peacefully, bundled up in blankets, head turned to one side. Her long, brown curls are falling down the side of the bed, tangled with Jesse’s. Jesse is asleep, too, sitting on the fluffy rug beside Lucy’s bed, head leaning on the edge of the mattress. He’s still holding a copy of _A Little Princess_ , Lucy’s favorite book, which he must’ve been reading to her before they fell asleep. 

Lucy can read well on her own, but she finds comfort in listening to someone else’s voice, and sometimes, when she has trouble sleeping, Andrew stays up for hours and tells her stories or reads from a book of her choice. It seems that she coerced Jesse into doing the same tonight.

Andrew’s heart swells when he sees them like this, and for a moment he contemplates just leaving them there, but he knows that Jesse’s going to have a horrible crick in his neck in the morning if he stays like this the whole night. So Andrew approaches the bed, kneels down beside Jesse, pries the book from his hands and puts his own hand on Jesse’s neck, carefully, so as not to startle him.

“Jesse… hey, Jess,” Andrew whispers, squeezing Jesse’s neck delicately. Jesse moves his head a little and his eyes slowly blink open.

“Andrew. You’re back. What time is it?” Jesse whispers sleepily.

“Unforgivably late. I’m sorry it took so long.”

“S’okay.”

“Let’s get out of here before we wake Lucy up,” Andrew says, and tugs lightly at Jesse’s hand. Jesse complies, and follows Andrew out of the bedroom.

Once they’re in the kitchen, there’s no need to whisper anymore. Without the protection of silence and the dimmed light of Lucy’s bedroom, Andrew suddenly feels exposed, like he’s wearing his feelings on his sleeve for Jesse to see in the fluorescent kitchen light. It’s making Andrew uneasy, to say the least.

Andrew gestures for Jesse to sit down behind the kitchen table and goes to put the kettle on.

“Would you like some tea?” he asks. 

“Yeah, sure,” Jesse replies, sitting down and running his finger through his curls in a vain attempt to smooth them down. His eyes still betray sleepiness and he looks absolutely, utterly adorable.

“I’m really sorry it took so long,” Andrew says, bringing two steaming mugs to the table and sitting down opposite Jesse. 

Jesse just shakes his head. “You look exhausted,” he says, eyeing Andrew carefully. Andrew lets out a small laugh.

“I kind of am. The director is a sadist. And I have a feeling this rehearsal didn’t change much, we’re going to be horrible tomorrow.”

Andrew can do small talk, too. It’s part of being friends, isn’t it?

“Yeah, you’ll have to forgive me for not believing it. Even if everyone else sucks, you’ll be amazing as ever.” Jesse gives Andrew a tentative, lop-sided smile. Andrew looks right into Jesse’s eyes and doesn’t know where his next words come from.

“Jesse, I don’t suppose you’ve changed your mind about… you know.” Jesse’s face gets serious and Andrew regrets his words right away. “I’m sorry, forget it, I shouldn’t--”

“Andrew,” Jesse interrupts him. “You know I can’t. Please don’t--”

“It’s okay, forget it.” 

“Would you please let me finish a sentence?” Andrew shuts up and nods. Jesse continues: “I was going to say: please don’t think I don’t want to. I just can’t, it’s too complicated right now.”

“Right now? Will it ever be different?”

“I don’t know. Just… give me some time to sort things out.”

Andrew’s not sure what is it that Jesse needs to sort out, but he can’t do anything but say yes to whatever Jesse asks for. He’s afraid he might lose Jesse as a friend if he refuses, and he’s not willing to take that risk, never mind the heartache.

“Sure.”

Neither of them feels much like talking after that. They finish their tea in silence, until Andrew can no longer stifle his yawns.

“You should go to sleep,” Jesse states, standing up. He takes Andrew’s empty mug and puts it in the sink with his, then prompts Andrew to get up by nudging his shoulder. “And I should go home,” he adds.

“What? No way. I have a perfectly functional couch and it’s yours for the night. There’s no way I’m going to let you go outside now. It’s one in the morning, and it’s raining.”

“Oh… well, you could just lend me an umbrella.”

“Jesse,” Andrew says, drawing out the last vowel.

“Alright, alright, I’ll take the couch,” Jesse consents, smiling.

~*~*~

Andrew is not sure what he expects when he wakes up several hours later and steps out of his bedroom. The apartment is suspiciously quiet, but it’s not like it was any different with Jesse last night. He could still be here, drinking coffee in the kitchen, or maybe still sleeping.

But the couch is empty, the blankets neatly folded, and there’s no sign of Jesse’s presence in the living room. So Andrew goes to the kitchen, and finds Lucy immersed in a book and absent-mindedly chewing on a pancake. She’s alone.

“Lucy?” Andrew says. She looks up at him, eyes unfocused.

“Oh, hey, dad. If you want pancakes, there are some left in the oven for you.”

“You haven’t been touching the oven, have you?”

Lucy rolls her eyes. “Yes, and I also mixed pancake batter with the sharpest knife I could find and fried it on hot butter. Of course not. Mr. Eisenberg made them.”

“And where is he now?”

“He left. He said he was busy, work stuff.”

Work stuff. On a Saturday morning. Jesse clearly wanted to get out of here before Andrew woke up, and he decided to make it all that worse for Andrew by leaving him warm pancakes in the oven. Making breakfast and bolting does not compute at all in Andrew’s mind. He finds it really impossible to understand this man. 

“I see. Are the pancakes any good?” Andrew asks, opening the oven door and taking the full plate out.

“Incredible. Not as good as yours, of course,” Lucy corrects herself, and Andrew laughs.

“Liar,” he says, and sits down at the table to eat breakfast. Or, well, try. The pancakes are delicious, but Andrew still can’t stomach them. He’s replaying their last conversation over and over in his head. Did he scare Jesse off by bringing up this topic again?

And what the hell does Jesse need to sort out?

 

~*~*~

Andrew decides to pick Lucy up from school on the last day before summer and take her for celebratory ice cream. Technically, it’s not that big a deal. She’s not even graduating school, just leaving the fourth grade, but she’s done what she was so determined to do for the past few months: she’s aced all her finals, including history.

She’s been doing better than Andrew has, anyway.

Pulling up in front of the school, Andrew feels a little bit apprehensive about the possibility of running into Jesse there. But this is Lucy’s day, and he won’t be so selfish as to put his own stupid feelings in the way.

Which doesn’t mean that he wants to hang around for longer than it takes to find Lucy, get her in the car and drive off to find a safe shelter in an ice cream shop. The finding Lucy part goes smoothly, at least, he spots her by the main entrance as soon as he pulls up to the parking lot. He gets out of the car and walks towards the door to meet her halfway.

“Hi daddy!” she shouts, running up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. This is what he loves about her – she’s not embarrassed to be seen with him in public, even if it means displays of affection like this on a campus full of her classmates. Maybe she’ll get there as she grows up, but for now, that is one amazing upside of parenting.

“Hey, sweetie,” Andrew says, putting her down and smiling widely. “How was your last day of fourth grade?”

“Kinda dull, except for-- oh hi, Kimmie!” A group of girls Lucy’s age appears, and one of them is waving at Lucy to come over. She turns her eyes at Andrew. “Can you please wait five more minutes? I’ll be right back.”

Andrew doesn’t really want to stick around any longer than he has to, but he remembers his own resolution about not being selfish. And ridiculous.

“Sure, go ahead, I’ll wait in the car,” he says, and Lucy runs off. But before Andrew can turn around, a man exits the school’s main door and what do you know – it’s Jesse. He looks straight at Andrew and freezes for a moment, but apparently gets over the initial surprise and descends down the stairs and towards Andrew.

“Andrew, hello,” Jesse says, and there go Andrew’s hopes of avoiding confrontation.

“Jesse,” Andrew says with a nod, turning his eyes towards where Lucy is having a passionate discussion with her friends. He hopes that Jesse will take the hint and leave, the social protocol doesn’t require any of them to continue the conversation. Andrew doesn’t need to hear another excuse-coated rejection.

Jesse clears his throat, and Andrew has no choice but to meet his eyes again.

“Can we… talk for a moment?” Jesse asks. “Looks like this could take a while,” he adds, gesturing towards Lucy. 

“Sure.” What else can he say? Apart from “no”, which doesn’t appear to be a viable option when it comes to things he could say to Jesse. Andrew’s a sucker, and he’s going to have to suffer for it.

They sit down on a small, wooden bench by the sidewalk. Jesse is nervous – Andrew can tell from the way he’s tugging at his sleeves and biting on his lower lip.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Andrew prompts when the silence starts getting hard to bear.

“Right, so. Last time we talked, I told you—I told you I had to sort something out.”

“I remember.”

“Yes. Well, I just want to tell you that I have. Sorted it out.”

“Good for you,” Andrew says, a little bitterly. Jesse shakes his head and takes a deep breath.

“Let me rephrase: I quit my job.”

“What? Why?”

“I had a pending job offer from the NYU for several months. I accepted it. I wasn’t sure I should, because I love teaching kids, but the college professor job will be good for me, too and—well, bottom line is, I’m no longer Lucy’s teacher.”

Andrew closes his eyes and lets out a long breath. This must be what Lucy started telling him about when she got interrupted by her friends. This is why Jesse finally decided to talk to Andrew, after avoiding him for so long. Andrew is not sure if it really changes anything. Part of him feels relieved, but the other, rational part is screaming at him not to give in to that feeling. So far, Jesse has only stated a fact, there was no declaration in it. 

“Does Lucy know?” Andrew asks, mostly to avoid saying anything of substance.

“I told her. They didn’t want to announce the new teacher until fall, but… this school’s matters are not really my concern now, are they.”

Andrew is still not looking at Jesse. He’s watching Lucy, wishing for her to hurry up. She seems to be saying her goodbyes, but her five minutes have turned to almost fifteen already, and he knows from experience that it will take at least another ten.

“Well, congratulations, Jesse, that job sounds amazing,” Andrew says, getting up. Jesse grabs his hand and pulls him back onto the bench.

“Would you just—just let me explain, okay?” 

Andrew doesn’t answer, but he sits back down and looks straight at Jesse. Jesse doesn’t let go of Andrew’s hand and takes in a breath to say something, but before he can do that, someone walks past them, eyeing their joined hands and giving them the stinkeye. Andrew recognizes the man from the night of his first (and only) date with Jesse, the asshole coworker who made them all miserable for several months and who probably was the deciding factor in Jesse’s decision to leave the job he loved.

Before Andrew can react, Jesse grabs the back of his neck and pulls him forward into a firm  
kiss. The asshole coworker turns his head away and scurries off so fast he almost trips.

Jesse pulls back, lips red and shiny. He smiles at Andrew cautiously.

“Sorry about that, I was hoping to maybe give him a heart attack, but I guess I can settle for a lifelong trauma.”

Andrew fights a smile that’s forcing its way onto his lips. The kiss clarified something in his head and he just… he has to know. He pulls back his hand from Jesse’s grip and watches Jesse’s face fall. Before he can ask any of the questions that are forming in his head right now, Jesse continues talking.

“Andrew, I just thought—I’m sorry if I’m being presumptuous, but--since I’m no longer a teacher, maybe we could—go out on a date again?”

Andrew looks down again. The expression of hope in Jesse’s eyes is threatening to overwhelm him, and he wants to keep a clear head.

“Jesse, if you think—if you think that after everything that’s happened you can just tell me you want to date me again because it’s okay now that it’s no longer in a way of… whatever, that you can just kiss me and ask me out and expect me to go with it just like that, then—then you’re absolutely right.” Andrew finally lets himself smile and look up at Jesse. Jesse opens and closes his mouth, like he’s processing what Andrew’s just said.

“So you—you’ll go out with me again?”

“You bet I will, you’re not getting rid of me now,” Andrew says and smiles, really smiles for the first time since they started this conversation. “I missed you,” he adds, taking Jesse’s hand back in his and squeezing it. Jesse returns the smile.

“So, did he go for it?” Lucy’s voice asks from behind Andrew. Andrew startles and lets go of Jesse’s hand, while Jesse cracks up.

“Yes, he did, thanks,” Jesse says and fist-bumps Lucy. Andrew narrows his eyes, but doesn’t stop smiling.

“Did you two conniving sneaks conspire against me?”

“Only a little!” Lucy is the picture of innocence.

“Lucy convinced me to ask you out again. I wasn’t sure I should, or that you’d even want me to.”

“And she said I would?” Andrew asks, raising his eyebrows and looking at Lucy. “How did you even know that?”

“Oh come on, dad, you were miserable without him. And besides, I want to see the cats again.”

This time it’s Andrew who cracks up. He stands up and takes Lucy’s hand.

“Come on, this celebratory ice cream is really called for today.”

“Mr. Eisenberg, will you come with us?” she asks, turning her head around to where Jesse is still sitting on the bench.

“Yeah, will you?” Andrew says with a smile, mimicking Lucy’s pleading tone.

“If you insist,” Jesse says, smiling, and joins them. “Oh, and Lucy? I’m no longer your teacher, so you can call me Jesse now.”

Lucy doesn’t say anything, just lets go of Andrew’s hand and hugs Jesse around the waist. Pulling away, she beams at them and skips off towards the car. Andrew and Jesse walk slowly behind her.

“Were you?” Jesse asks quietly, not quite looking at Andrew.

“Was I what?” Andrew asks, frowning.

“Miserable without me,” Jesse clarifies with a small smile. Andrew doesn’t answer, just takes Jesse’s hand and lets their fingers entwine, hoping that it conveys everything he wants to say.

 

~*~*~

Andrew’s had the summer of his lifetime.

Jesse had all the time in the world to spend with him before the beginning of the fall semester at his new job. Which was kind of perfect, actually. They didn’t even need to arrange special dates, Jesse was just kind of always around. He attended Andrew’s rehearsals and several of his shows, stayed at his apartment with Lucy when Andrew had to work late, and stayed overnight every now and then, mostly when Lucy was staying overnight at Emma’s.. 

Almost right away it felt like they’d been dating forever. Jesse fit into Andrew’s life like a piece of a puzzle, and Lucy accepted the situation without any problems and was happier than ever.

It is all too perfect. 

Andrew keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s the middle of August, and from Andrew’s experience, it’s impossible that his life would go so smoothly for such a long time. 

He’s been expecting an epic calamity for so long that he’s not even surprised when one afternoon Lucy comes home from her friend’s house in tears.

“Honey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asks frantically, rushing to the door as soon as she enters the apartment. Lucy hugs Andrew tightly and hides her face in his stomach, sobbing.

“Ye-es,” she answers, voice broken and muffled by the fabric of Andrew’s shirt. 

“Hey, it’s okay, come here with me,” Andrew says in a soothing voice, gently disentangling Lucy’s arms from around his waist and guiding her towards the couch. “What’s wrong?”

Lucy sniffles a few times, and finally speaks. “The girls said they won’t come to my party tomorrow. Jenny’s mom is taking them away to some stupid zoo.”

“And they have to go exactly on your birthday?”

“Yes, because Jenny’s mom has the time only this Saturday. And they didn’t invite me because they thought I would want to be home on my birthday. Or so they say.”

Andrew didn’t want to ask about that, so he’s glad Lucy answered before he had to say something.

“Lucy, honey, I’m sure we can arrange for you to go with them…”

“I don’t want to! If they like some lame zoo better than my party, I don’t want them here!”

“Okay, I was going to suggest next that we throw you a party next weekend, but I guess this is out of the question now, too.”

“I don’t want a party,” Lucy repeats, wiping her eyes with a hand clenched in a fist. The gesture makes her look younger, and Andrew feels a tug at his heart and a fierce urge to protect his little girl from all the bad people in the world.

Which, he guesses, shouldn’t really relate to a bunch of less than sensitive school girls, but at this moment his judgment might be a little clouded.

“You’re still going to have a birthday,” Andrew offers, wrapping his arm across Lucy’s shoulder. “We’ll have the cake and everything. We can invite Jesse. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

“Thanks, dad,” Lucy says. She doesn’t look convinced. “I’m gonna go to my room, I’m tired,” Lucy excuses herself, and leaves after Andrew nods.

Andrew doesn’t know what to do, so he does the first thing that comes to his mind: he calls Jesse.

“Jess, I have a parenting crisis. Please help?” So he might sound a little whiny, so what.

“Calm down, sit down, take a deep breath and tell me what’s wrong,” Jesse says, voice calm but concerned. The only times Jesse forgets about his own issues are the moments when he has to reassure Andrew, which makes Andrew feel equally proud and guilty. But now it’s not about him.

“It’s Lucy,” Andrew starts.

“Yes, I figured. Unless you have another child I don’t know about,” Jesse quips, and Andrew can’t help but laugh.

“Jesse, I’m serious. Lucy’s friends bailed out on her and are not coming to her birthday party. She’s in her room sulking as we speak, and I don’t know how to fix this.”

“I’m going to hazard a guess that you’ve already suggested moving the party to another day?”

“Yes, thank you, and it didn’t work. She claims she doesn’t want a party at all now.”

“Hmmm,” Jesse hums. “I might have an idea how to get her to stop moping. I’ve actually thought about it for some time, but wanted to consult you first. It’s a bit early, but possible, and it would be perfect now.”

“I’m listening,” Andrew says, and Jesse explains his plan.

Turns out that calling Jesse is the best thing Andrew could do.

~*~*~

The next afternoon, Lucy apparently decides that spending her birthday with Andrew, Jesse, and a bunch of brand new Pixar DVDs (all gifts from Andrew) is a better option than brooding in her room. 

She comes downstairs to help Andrew prepare everything for the celebration. She remarks that the decorations are not necessary now that she doesn’t have an actual party, but Andrew is relentless and insists that the three of them is all the party they need. Lucy shrugs and doesn’t say anything, but her eyes light up as she sees the colorful balloons and glittery banners. 

“Doesn’t look so bad, does it?” Andrew grins, presenting to her a huge chocolate cake. Lucy looks for a moment like she’s not sure if she wants to give up sulking yet, but she’s a Garfield through and through, so the smile eventually makes its way onto her face.

“Not at all,” she admits. “What time is Jesse going to be here?” She’s finally stopped calling him “Mr. Eisenberg”, after going through a phase of calling him “Mr. Jesse”, or nothing at all. Andrew takes that as a final sign that she’s accepted Jesse’s presence in her life.

Andrew checks his watch. “Any minute now. He’s bringing a surprise, you know?”

“Dad, I’m fine. You two don’t have to do anything more to make me feel better,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Am I going to like it?” she adds after a moment’s consideration.

Andrew throws his head back, laughing. “You’re going to love it,” he assures her, and Lucy’s eyes light up.

The doorbell rings, announcing Jesse’s arrival. Lucy darts out and gets to the door before Andrew. As soon as she opens the door, Jesse hugs her with one arm, the other clutching something underneath his jacket.

“Happy birthday,” he says warmly, running his right hand up and down Lucy’s back. She smiles up at him, then she notices the mysterious object he’s holding. It’s moving.

“What’s that?” she asks.

“In a minute, Lucy,” Andrew says, coming up behind her. “Come in, Jess.”

Jesse smiles at him, the warm, familiar smile Andrew won’t ever be able to live without. He feels his heart melt a little, like always when Jesse looks at him this way.

“Hi,” Jesse says, stepping forward into the apartment and turning his face up towards Andrew, who takes the hint and gives him a quick kiss on the mouth. He’ll never get used to this, either, but he certainly won’t mind testing the theory forever.

Lucy makes an impatient noise. “What’s the surprise?” she asks excitedly. Andrew nods towards Jesse and wishes he had a video camera to capture her reaction to Jesse’s gift.

Jesse unzips his jacket and carefully takes out what seems to be a black-and-white ball of fluff. Lucy lets out an undignified squeal and covers her mouth with her hand, eyes huge with surprise.

“A kitten!” she exclaims. Jesse grins and hands her the cat. It’s tiny, and fits perfectly in Lucy’s small hands. 

“He’s yours,” Jesse says. “Happy birthday again.”

Lucy doesn’t answer, reverently watching the kitten in her hands. It meows softly and stretches, eyeing Lucy with a pair of round, pale green eyes. She hugs him to her chest, and the cat visibly approves – he snuggles up to her and starts purring. Lucy looks up at Andrew.

“Dad, is that okay? Can I keep him?”

“You really think I’d give you a kitten without consulting with your dad first?” Jesse says before Andrew can speak. “He’s Emily’s son, I set him aside especially for you.”

“You’ll have to take care of him, though,” Andrew informs her. “It’s a big responsibility, but I know you can do it.”

“Of course I can!” Lucy says, stroking the kitten’s soft fur. “What’s his name?”

“I haven’t named him yet, I leave that to you,” Jesse says with a smile.

“I’ll have to think about it. He needs a special name,” Lucy decides.

“Okay,” Andrew says. “In the meantime, let’s have a party, shall we?” he suggests, ushering Jesse, Lucy and the kitten to the living room.

Lucy sits down on the couch with the kitten in her lap, while Andrew cuts the cake and Jesse sits at the opposite end. When Andrew sits between them and hands Lucy a plate with a generous piece of chocolate cake, she lets go of the cat. It promptly gets up and starts exploring, tapping Andrew’s thigh experimentally with one paw, then jumping over his lap towards Jesse. 

Jesse absentmindedly strokes the kitten’s back. It purrs and arches into his touch, apparently familiar with the gesture. “Do you have the name yet?” Jesse asks Lucy.

“I need more time,” Lucy says with a serious expression. “Can we watch something while I think?” she asks with a sly smile.

Andrew laughs and shakes his head. “She’s been dying to lay her hands on the new movies all day,” he explains to Jesse. “I’m afraid we can’t avoid it.”

“Hey, nothing like a good movie on a Saturday night,” Jesse says with a smile. He scoops the kitten up, places him in Lucy’s lap, then sits back against the cushions. When Andrew comes back to the sofa after putting in a movie of Lucy’s choice and dimming the light, Jesse pulls him gently against his chest so that Andrew’s head is resting on Jesse’s shoulder. Lucy shoots them an amused look, then gets up from the couch and curls up with the kitten in a big armchair. 

When the movie starts, Jesse’s hand finds its way into Andrew’s hair. Andrew closes his eyes and thinks he could outpurr even Lucy’s kitten.

“I got it,” Lucy informs them after the movie. “The name,” she clarifies when they look at her in confusion.

“So, what is it?” Andrew prompts, sleepily, and rubs his eyes with the balls of his hands. Jesse makes for a far too comfortable pillow. 

“Mr. Mistoffelees,” she informs them proudly. “Misto, for short.”

“When did you watch _Cats_?” Andrew asks, frowning. Jesse is shaking with laughter, his face buried in Andrew’s neck.

“I didn’t. Jesse told me about it one night when I couldn’t sleep.”

“It’s a perfect name, Lucy,” Jesse says when he can breathe normally again. “I’ve taught you well.”

~*~*~

“But I thought you hated them,” Andrew says, loosening the scarf around his neck with one hand, the other holding Lucy’s hand. 

Who would have thought it’d be this sunny and warm in October. It works out nicely, though – it’s Saturday afternoon and Andrew has a show in the evening, but he can spend the rest of the day with his daughter. He realizes with a twinge of guilt that they haven’t spent much time together, just the two of them, since Andrew started dating Jesse. Not that Lucy has complained in any way, no – she’s just as happy to hang out with both of them as she was to accept Andrew’s suggestion of a walk in the park earlier this afternoon.

Now she looks up at him, rolling her eyes. “Dad, it was two months ago. Things change,” she says philosophically. Andrew grins and ruffles her hair. 

“You know I’m just looking out for you, right?”

“I know, but it’s different! Please, dad, please, everyone’s gonna be there!”

“And by everyone, you mean Jenny’s mother, too?”

“Of course. You can call her if you want, I got the number from Jenny. Just please say yes!”

“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” Andrew laughs. “Alright, you can go.”

“Thank you! Um, and… it’s a Halloween party, so I need a costume.”

“Oh, now that’s a problem. You see, it means that we have a grave dilemma to solve right now.”

Lucy gives him a quizzical look.

“Costume shopping or hot chocolate?” Andrew explains, barely holding back a big smile.

“Both!” Lucy exclaims and hugs him around the waist. “You’re the best dad in the world.”

~*~*~

Predictably, Jesse is more than happy to hear that they will have the entire Halloween night to themselves. That is, after he’s done being skeptical towards Andrew’s ability to let Lucy go.

“You’re letting her go to a sleepover? You?”

“And what is that supposed to mean? I’m not a mother hen or anything,” Andrew says, but pauses for a second. “Am I?”

He hears Jesse laugh fondly on the other side of the phone. “Not at all. But are you sure you want me there for a date and not to hold your hand until Lucy comes home?”

“Bite me,” Andrew tell him heartily, and thinks, _I love you_.

Neither of them has said it yet. It’s not that Andrew doesn’t want to, in fact, sometimes he has to forcibly stop himself for blurting it out, especially when Jesse cooks him dinner or calls him after a long day, or well, just _exists_. 

But Andrew knows better than that. For all the times Jesse has compared him to a baby deer or other woodland creatures, Jesse himself is very much like a skittish rabbit. Andrew doesn’t want to spook him away, because seriously, Bambi would be nothing without his Thumper. So he leaves the words unsaid and hopes that his looks and touches convey all the feelings more than sufficiently. 

But there are times when Andrew has to try particularly hard. Like when Jesse shows up at Andrew’s place on Halloween looking subdued and miserable. Of course, he tries to cover it up with a smile and a sweet, warm kiss, but Andrew can see right through him and is definitely not fooled. 

“What’s the matter, Jess?” Andrew asks, wrapping his arms around Jesse’s fragile frame and rubbing his back soothingly. What he really wants to do is to squeeze Jesse with all his might and protect him from the whole world. But then again – rabbit, skittish, no.

“Nothing,” Jesse murmurs into Andrew’s shoulder. “Just a bit of professional crisis. I’ll get over it.”

“I thought you liked your new job?”

“I thought I did, too. But now it’s coming to bite me in the ass, and I’m starting to have doubts. But really, I’m fine. Can we have Halloween now?” Jesse asks, pulling back a bit and looking up at Andrew with pleading eyes.

“Hmm, I don’t know, I don’t think it counts as a Halloween party if you’re not wearing a costume,” Andrew says. He mentally congratulates himself when this coaxes a smile out of Jesse.

“You’re not wearing one, either,” Jesse points out.

“I don’t have to. My house, my rules, Eisenberg,” Andrew says, raising his eyebrows in a mock-threatening gesture. Jesse laughs and shakes his head.

“Come on,” Andrew says, then kisses Jesse’s temple and leads him into the living room.

Andrew’s plans for the night have been entirely different, but he can’t bring himself to even attempt to have sex with Jesse when he’s upset and vulnerable, so he suggests a drink and a movie. Jesse just nods, curling up in his usual spot on Andrew’s couch. Andrew’s chest tightens at the sight – Jesse looks so… in place, like he belongs there. Which he does, and Andrew will be damned if he doesn’t try to keep Jesse here forever. In good time, of course.

For now, he takes two beers out of the fridge and joins Jesse on the couch. Jesse melts into his side instantly, pillowing his head on Andrew’s chest. Andrew puts one arm around him and kisses the top of his head. 

After half an hour it becomes obvious that Jesse’s paying hardly any attention to the movie. Andrew grabs the remote and turns the TV set off. Jesse doesn’t protest, just eyes Andrew questioningly.

“Want to tell me about your crisis?” Andrew asks, softly, taking Jesse’s hand in his and squeezing reassuringly. “Maybe I can help?”

Jesse blushes slightly and looks down. “No, it’s… it’s stupid, really. I’m stupid, it’s nothing.”

“Jess, you’re the least stupid person I know. And something’s bothering you. Please.”

“Fine, okay,” Jesse says, but doesn’t look up at Andrew. “It’s just… I’m starting to wonder if I made the right decision. With the job change. I mean, I know it was the right thing to do, for Lucy’s sake and for… and for us, but… It’s harder that I thought.”

“Why? Are the students giving you a hard time?” Andrew says, frowning, and mentally eviscerates anybody who would dare to be less than absolutely delightful towards Jesse.

“Not as such, no. But… you know, it’s easy with children. They might be a handful at times, but they look up to you. Even if you make a mistake. But the college students are adults, most of them don’t even look younger than me. And they can call me out on any bullshit, Andrew, they haven’t yet, but it’s a possibility and it makes me so nervous before every class that I almost forget the things I was going to say and oh God, it was a huge mistake. I should have stayed in elementary school.” Jesse finishes and gasps for air, hands shaking and cheeks flushed pink.

Andrew is struggling not to laugh and he’s sure it makes him a horrible, horrible person.

“Jess. Jesse, look at me,” he says instead, taking both Jesse’s hands in his to steady them. “You’re rambling. And come on, you’re winding yourself up, and there’s not even a good reason for that. I’m sure your students adore you.”

“You can’t know that,” Jesse replies, petulantly.

“But I know that you said yourself that none of them criticized you yet. And if they’re as ruthless as you’re saying, they would have done that if they had a reason. They don’t. You’re amazing. Stop beating yourself up over nothing.”

Jesse’s hands are not shaking anymore. He looks up and squints at Andrew. “You really think that?” he asks in a small voice. 

Andrew squeezes his hands even tighter and looks him straight in the eyes. “Yes,” he says emphatically. 

Jesse smiles slightly. “Would you come to one of my lectures? I think this might help, to have you there.”

“Of course,” Andrew agrees right away. “Whatever you need, Jesse, you know that.”

Andrew’s not even finished speaking when Jesse wraps his arms tightly around his neck and holds on, burying his face in Andrew’s shoulder. “Love you,” he whispers into Andrew’s ear, and Andrew can’t do much more but wrap his arms around Jesse and cling to him right back.

“Love you too, baby.”

Andrew always thought he’d be the first to say it, but he can definitely live with the situation as it is.

 

~*~*~

Andrew really thinks he has it all: a wonderful kid, a job that he loves, and – last but SO not least - a boyfriend whom he loves and who loves him (and since they finally said that to each other, Andrew makes sure to repeat it over and over again, as often as he can, just because he’s allowed to – and because it always makes Jesse blush the cutest shade of pink). And yet it feels like something is missing, but Andrew can’t pinpoint what.

It’s Lucy, of all people, that makes him realize what it is.

“This is stupid,” she says, scrunching up her small nose. It’s nine o’clock on Thanksgiving night, and Jesse is getting ready to leave. He’s never stayed overnight when Lucy was home, and that night wasn’t going to be any different. Or so they thought.

Andrew and Jesse give Lucy matching, questioning looks. She sighs and rolls her eyes when they apparently don’t get the reason of her discontent.

“You should just live here. Why don’t you live here?” she asks, raising her big, suspiciously innocent eyes at Jesse. Andrew is not fooled by this display, but Jesse hasn’t developed proper shields yet. Andrew doesn’t intervene, though, mostly because he suddenly finds himself extremely interested in Jesse’s answer.

Jesse blushes and looks to Andrew for help. When he doesn’t receive any, he turns to Lucy again and starts stuttering.

“Um… I’m not… I mean… Lucy, it’s not that easy. I can’t just… There’s no… I can’t just move in here.”

“But why not?” Lucy asks, and yes, here comes the pout. Andrew doesn’t envy Jesse, but what the hell. He wants to know, too.

“Yeah, Jess, why not?”

Now who’s looking like a deer in the headlights?

“Um… look, it’s late, we’ll talk about this some other time, okay? Goodnight,” Jesse says frantically and all but runs for the exit. 

Andrew rushes after him and stops him with a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Jess. Jesse!”

Jesse turns around and looks Andrew straight in the eyes. His face is blank. Andrew suddenly feels scared.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry. It’s just… she misses you when you’re not here, and I can’t exactly say I blame her. But you don’t have to… I mean, I know you need your space. It’s okay if we don’t live together.”

Jesse doesn’t say anything for a few moments, his stare still unreadable. He hasn’t flinched away from Andrew’s touch, though, so that’s probably a good sign. Andrew looks around to see if Lucy is still standing there; she isn’t – probably gone to her room, the conniving little sneak.

When Andrew looks back, there’s a small smile lingering on Jesse’s lips.

“She’s right, though, you know?”

“What?”

“A lot of my stuff is already here. And don’t pretend like you haven’t stolen all my Agatha Christie books. It’s also closer to my work, and the commute from my apartment to here is really inconvenient.”

Andrew is speechless for a while.

“You’ve thought about this before, haven’t you?”

“I might have,” Jesse admits, and bites down at his bottom lip. “Well?” he prompts when Andrew just keeps staring at him in awe. “It’s okay if you don’t want this,” he adds hastily, misinterpreting Andrew’s silence.

“Jess, I… of course I want this, you idiot, why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know. You sure you have room for three more cats and… and me?”

Andrew’s only reply is to move forward and literally kiss the breath out of Jesse. After a longer while, Jesse smiles into the kiss and moves back a little, hands still firmly planted on Andrew’s hips.

“I’ll take that as a yes?” he asks.

“Take that as a hell yes,” Andrew replies. “Lucy!” he calls out towards his daughter’s room. She opens the door instantly, as if she’s been eavesdropping right on the other side. Which she probably has.

“You win,” Andrew announces with a smile. “Jesse’s moving in with us.”

Lucy beams at the both of them. “Finally!” she exclaims. “Mr. Mistoffelees will be so happy to live with his mom!”

Now - Andrew thinks, as he and Jesse hug Lucy between them - now he really has it all.

~FIN~


End file.
